Linderhof

Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas

Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Friday, July 8, 2011

"Mother" Watches Over All

The "Mother" that's watching over all is my Mother Fern. I love ferns but not all ferns love me. Boston ferns usually hang from the portico in the summer but in winter, they become "toast" by Christmas! I'm not sure if it is me or the house but whatever it is, Bostons just do not do well inside at Linderhof.

But "Mother" does and in the summer she sits outside on the front porch -- this summer she's in a flower container from our beloved Fort Scott Greenhouse (which sadly is no longer).

And today she's watching over my morning tea which I'm taking on the porch. It's still warm on the prairie -- too warm for tea in the garden but I have been in the garden all morning -- working on my south garden which has been neglected not just the time we've been in England but all of last year too! (Because of my knees)

The porch table makes a nice spot for a quick cup of tea before I head back to the garden.

The wicker tray with my "new" tray cloth that I brought home from England with my wee Asiatic Pheasant teapot, cup and saucer and leftover lavender shortbread.

Alas, no fresh flowers on the tea tray -- instead a wand (or bottle) of lavender from the garden for I love the smell of lavender.

I love shortbread. It's easy to make and I especially love lavender shortbread. It's easy to make -- just add culinary lavender (mine comes form my garden) to your regular shortbread recipe. I rolled these fairly thick and cut them with a round cutter.

It's Saturday and I'm joining dear friend Bernideen for Saturday Tea in the Garden -- and although I'm not in the garden I am outside and I have been in the garden!!!!

What kind of heat does Linderhof have? In this house and our last, we had ancient steam heat radiators -- moist heat -- and ferns THRIVE.

And on benign neglect, too. I am not an attentive plant mama.

We had a Boston fern in our old family room that grew so large we had to move my husband's recliner, then a bookcase, to accomodate it. Eventually it reached almost 5 feet across ..., and then I tried to murder it as it was just massive, and I could hardly keep up with its shedding.

It was worse than the spaniels!

I put it outside that summer, and "forgot" to take it in before frost.

I think it's the humid heat that does it for our ferns. Ivies on the other hand don't do well. I can hold them thru the winter,but come summer it's curtains for any ivy. I'm about to deliver the coup de grace to one tomorrow.

I love to see the pictures with the huge beautiful boston ferns in the victorian homes. but like you mine are on the porch all summer and can not make it in my house! they do go to my husbands business over the winter.

Oh I can't grow ferns either. They jsut don't do well at all for me. Love your mother fern and your teasetting is just so inviting. Love the shortbread, one of my all time favorites. Enjoy and have a super weekend. Hugs, Marty